Inheritance
by Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint
Summary: Co authored with MysteryGirl7Freak and a side story to Prismrain13's Reconnected Saga. Read their stories to get the full understanding of the situation. When a letter from his past shows up, Dragon sneaks off the Gummi ship while Roxas and the others are sleeping to meet up with an old face and complete his final test. Will he triumph or will his journey across the worlds come to


Disclaimer I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney or Square enix please support their official releases. The character Kyra are owned by the author MysteryGirl7Freak and the Reconnected Storyline and its characters such as West and Lydia belong to Prismrain13 please read both their works.

Inheritance

Dragon couldn't believe what he had done.

Dragon was an eighteen-year-old guy with light brown hair that was slightly spiked. He dressed in a black and green long-sleeved jacket, black fingerless gloves and pants, a grey shirt with a yellow dragon on it, green and yellow sneakers, and a yellow belt with two loose straps with a Samurai sword hanging from his belt.

Dragon was still trying to understand what he had done. He never thought he would hear from him again. Clutching the letter in his hand, he squeezed his eyes shut.

After leaving the Incredibles' world, the team had stopped off on a space station to restock on provisions. Lydia had found a Moogle to ask for any messages from Radiant Garden to see how her establishment was doing. What surprised Dragon the most was that the Moogle had a letter for him. Dragon had never been given any mail for most of his life. Now and then a bill for the dojo he was living in, but never any personal messages. When Dragon read the message, his heart almost stopped. When asked what was wrong, he lied to the others that it wasn't anything big, just an advertisement.

A while later, after he and the team got back to the ship, Dragon waited until everyone was asleep so he could carry out his plan. Granted, with how Myde was snoring, it was amazing how he ever got any sleep on the ship.

He got dressed, took Steel Slayer, and made his way to the escape pods. He felt guilty having to lie to his friends, even though he had only met them not too long ago. He still wanted to make a good impression since this was the first time he had ever properly been in a group.

He hoped once he came back, he could make it up to them.

Without looking back, he took the pod and made his way through space to get to the world that was listed in the letter.

He slumped his shoulders, letting out a sigh. However, his senses soon became alert as he heard a string pull back. Someone else had stowaway with him.

"You do know sometimes the smart thing to do is just to tell people what you want to do?" berated the person behind him.

Dragon frowned. "This was a personal thing. It's not something I can tell people about."

"I thought you wanted to be a team player," The person responded.

Dragon turned around to confront the person. "You of all people should know what it's like to deal with your past, Kyra."

Kyra stood with her bow drawn. She was an eighteen-year-old girl dressed in a dark red, sleeveless cloak that went down to her knees; black boots that reached mid-calf; coffee coloured jeans; an indigo, puffy, long sleeved shirt; and a small, sun-shaped necklace. She also had long, black hair with one red highlight at the side of her face and amethyst eyes.

"I thought your past came from a book?" She asked as she lower her weapon, no longer aiming an arrow at his head.

Dragon stayed silent.

After a moment, Kyra slung her bow over her shoulder and crossed her arms.

"So," she asked, acting like an annoyed mother who just found her kid with their hand in a cookie jar. "How come you're going renegade all of a sudden?"

Dragon sighed as he turned back to the controls. "I'm going to the Enchanted Domain."

"Why? You do know that's Maleficent's home world, right?" She said the witch's name as if it were a deadly poison. It should be after everything that sorceress did to her brother.

"From what I heard, she hasn't been back to her home world for years. Besides, I have no intention of ever being acquainted with someone like that," Dragon responded.

"Then why are you going there?" Kyra pressed on.

Dragon exhaled as he kept one hand on the controls, the other digging into his pocket. "Back at the Station, a Moogle gave me a letter …. It was from my master." He brought out a piece of paper, writing on it.

Kyra raised an eyebrow as Dragon gave her the letter. "Your master?"

Dragon nodded. "The old man from the Dojo."

Kyra silently read the letter:

Travel to Enchanted Domain. When you get there find the Woodsman's Cottage. You will find me there. It's time for you to take your final test.

Golbez

She put the letter down and looked at the samurai. "So I guess this Golbez is your master?"

Dragon gave her a nod.

"How come he didn't say goodbye to you in Twilight Town?" She pressed on.

Dragon lowered his head and breathed slowly. "I haven't seen him since I was eleven years old," he confessed.

"What? You haven't seen him since then? He's been missing for seven years!" She said in disbelief, "What happened? Was he attacked by the Heartless? Found a random portal?"

Dragon shook his head. "I wish that was what happened."

Kyra stood in place, unsure of what to say next. On one hand, Dragon was still a mystery. A boy without any memory of his original world, only having a book to remind him that Twilight Town wasn't his birth world. On the course of their travels with Roxas and the others she was able to get a better idea of what type of person Dragon was. A shy guy who needed to work on his fighting style and can be insecure beyond reason sometimes. On the other hand, he could be seen as a nice boy who just wanted to help the other worlds and find out who he really was and where he came from. Yet there was still some answers she still needed to uncover about him.

She bit her lip and looked at Dragon. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "What exactly happened with you and this Golbez?"

Dragon put the pod on auto-pilot and turned around to the archer. "You really want to know? It's a long story."

She walked over and sat down in the chair next to him. "I got time."

Dragon looked up at the ceiling of the pod. "Well, he was the first person I met in Twilight Town."

 _Twilight Town – Ten years ago_

 _An eight-year-old Dragon was scraping for any food he could find. He was wearing a dirty red shirt, green cargo shorts, black sandals along with a sleeveless white vest._

 _Back then, he didn't have a name. He only had the clothes and the book that he woke up wearing and having. Other than that, he had the memory of a one year old not being able to remember anything before coming to this town._

 _So far he had spent three weeks in dumpsters looking for food. Sometimes he found some leftover pizza and sometimes he had to go through the night hungry. This was no life for a child._

 _"Give me your wallet!" The young Dragon heard from afar. He quickly exited the alley to see what was happening._

 _Once he got to the other end he saw two figures. One was a street urchin wearing a red bandana and worn down clothes, holding a knife in his hands. Dragon remembered at the time seeing his hands quiver. This man had no idea how to use a knife._

 _Dragon looked at the other man. Once he did, his mouth opened in astonishment._

 _He was a very tall man with excellent muscle build. He had long, silver white hair flowing down his back. His eyes were light blue, almost like the lunar light from a moon. He wore a long dark navy coat with yellow lining, a dark navy shirt with a golden sun necklace around his neck, dark navy trousers with black boots that had yellow golden straps and lining on them while holding a wooden sword in his hand._

 _The thief kept shaking. "Give me your money now!" He threatened._

 _The man just examined the thief with a bored look. He then turned around and started to walk away._

 _"I SAID GIVE IT!"_

 _The thief lunged forward._

 _The silver haired man spun around and whacked the thief's hand. Hard. The thief cried in pain as held his hand, the knife clattering to the ground._

 _"You broke my wrist! You broke my damn wrist!"_

 _The silver haired man sighed. "If it wasn't broken, you could have gotten a job lifting boxes. It's a pity you had to attack me." With that, the silver haired man began to walk away, having no more business in this situation._

 _The young Dragon looked at the hoodlum who was whimpering over the pain and then at the man who dished out the attack._

 _Dragon started to scamper to the swordmaster._

 _"Wait!" cried out Dragon, "Please, wait!"_

 _The man stopped and turned around. Unfortunately, Dragon had still been running and bumped into the silver haired swordmaster._

 _The little boy stumbled onto the ground. He groaned, rubbing his head. He soon stopped as he looked up to see the swordmaster. The mere presence of his sight could send both chills down your spine and yet strangely a sense of comfort._

 _"Why are you bothering me, child?" He asked._

 _"Er...um," Dragon stammered nervously._

 _"Well?" He asked again._

 _Dragon got up and cleaned the dust from his clothes. "I want you to teach me. I saw what you did to that guy. I want to learn how to do that too."_

 _"So you want to learn how to be a bully?"_

 _Dragon shook his head. "No, of course not. I just want to know how to protect myself and be able to stand up to thugs like him."_

 _"Did you hear what I did to that man?"_

 _"Yeah, you broke his wrist," Dragon replied._

 _The swordmaster nodded. "I did. I have no idea if it will heal properly. Thanks to me, his chances of finding work and making a living for himself have become much harder to achieve. His life will still be in this garbage gutter having to rely on rats to eat."_

 _A draft wafted through as there was a moment of silence._

 _"Do you want to learn how to ruin people's lives?" He asked._

 _"No."_

 _The swordmaster said nothing more and continued to walk away._

 _"I want to know how to fight because I'm scared!" Dragon shot back._

 _The swordmaster stopped once Dragon spoke again. "I don't remember anything. I only have three weeks of memory."_

 _"You suffer from amnesia," The swordmaster concluded._

 _"I'm scared. I'm lonely. I don't know where to go or who to find. I don't know if I ever will find out who I am." Dragon looked down and whimpered sadly._

 _He then looked straight at the swordmaster. "But if you teach me, then maybe I have a chance. A chance to be someone. Not some street rat but someone who has a purpose, who could belong somewhere and not some kid who died out on the streets," Dragon pleaded._

 _There was a long period of silence between the two. Dragon guessed this man probably would give him a flat out no. However, he soon got a reply._

 _"If I teach you, you must listen to everything I say to you. I will help develop your skills with the sword on the condition you take my methods and teachings to heart. When you use a weapon you would be representing me. I want someone who has honour and an understanding of right and wrong to represent me, the master who taught me and his master."_

 _The swordmaster turned around. "If I see at any point there is a possibility that you may use my teachings for the wrong reasons, then I will dismiss you and leave you to rot in this gutter. Do I make myself clear?" The swordmaster threatened._

 _The young boy was a bit shaken. On one hand, a failure would cost him his entire future, and on the other hand, he would be learning the proper ways of the sword and be able to find an identity for himself._

 _Feeling his heart throbbing in his chest, he looked at his soon-to-be teacher. "Yes, I will listen to you and I promise I will never use your teachings for the wrong reasons."_

 _The swordmaster nodded. "I will hold you up to that. Tell me what your name is?"_

 _At this point of Dragon's life, he didn't have a name. He only had three weeks' worth of memory. He fumbled with his hands._

 _"I don't … ah." Dragon's book fell from his hands._

 _"Your name is 'I don't ah?" He asked skeptically._

 _"NO!" Dragon said, annoyed. "It's..." He looked at the book's cover, seeing the lovely illustrations of powerful dragons._

 _He wanted to be strong. He wanted some self-respect. He knew what his name was._

 _"My name is Dragon, sir."_

 _The swordmaster nodded. "Okay Dragon, I will grant your request. You shall be my student. Since you are going to be my pupil you should know my name."_

 _"What is it?" Dragon asked._

 _"Golbez"._

Space Pod – Present time.

"So that's how I learned my samurai skills," Dragon explained, solemnly. "Ten years it's been since that day and it's fresh in my mind, always. The area and the words, even the garbage bins."

Dragon leaned back against the chair.

"Golbez always knew how to intimidate someone. The look alone was enough." Dragon chuckled. "I guess that's why I feel nervous all the time. When you live with a guy like that."

Kyra listened to every word of Dragon's story. It was a more expanded version of when he told her how he got his name. He had been telling the truth when he said that it was based on the book that came from his original world, but she didn't know that there was some history to it.

She frowned as a question had been boiling up throughout the telling. "Dragon," She spoke softly, not wanting to cause the boy to have a panic attack, "I understand this guy is important to you, but he did leave you for seven years," She reminded him.

Dragon slouched in his chair. "Yeah."

"Why? I get you owe this man, but at the same time, he did abandon you. So why? How could someone do that to child?"

Dragon looked down at the floor. "Would you believe it was a part of my training?"

 _Twilight Town Dojo – Seven years ago_

 _The dojo Dragon had lived in was a street shop. In it was a box of practice wooden swords, special dummies used for practices, a few weights lying around to build muscle, and an upstairs which had a kitchen and two rooms._

 _Dragon remembered his three years of training underneath Golbez well. It was one of the toughest times in his entire life. At first, he had no sense of skill or style. Most of the spars he had with Golbez would show Dragon was just swinging his practice sword quickly before getting into a stance. Golbez would retaliate by simply just whacking the sword out of Dragon's hand without any effort._

 _Over time, Dragon did start showing improvement._

 _Golbez trained him physically by having him lift weights, doing push ups, running, and climbing. He would then give him some resistance training. One time Dragon was put into a bath filled with hot water, almost burning his skin off. Another time, he was put into a bath with nothing but ice cubes. He still remembered asking Golbez if it was time to get out yet. Golbez would just throw a rubber duck at him._

 _The training Dragon really did benefit from was the mental training._

 _During one of their spars, Golbez had tied a blindfold over his eyes. His job was to understand when his opponents were lying. Best way to do this was don't trust their eyes. They swing left, you swing right. Dragon had to listen to each swing of Golbez's sword. It was like a magnetic dance. Each click equalled a swing._

 _For three years Dragon was subdued to this training routine. Over time he was improving very well to the point he was able to hold his own against his master. However, that changed on the last day he saw his master. He remembered it clearly when he was eleven-years-old._

 _Golbez had taken him to his own personal room. Dragon had never seen his master's room, but when he did he only saw a bed and a sword hanging from the wall. Nothing else in the room, just those two items._

 _Dragon looked closely at the hanging samurai sword. It was covered by a blue sheath with silver lining, the hilt of the sword with silver white with a red emerald in its middle. On top of the hilt was a small yellow crown._

 _Dragon was taken aback by the sword's appearance. It was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. The style of the colours, the sheath, and the design just made it feel incredible. He felt hypnotized just looking at it._

 _As he was about to pull it out of its sheath, Golbez grabbed his hand that was reaching for it. "Not yet."_

 _Dragon looked at him, a little disappointed. "Master, it's an amazing sword. Why is it just left here on a wall?"_

 _Golbez examined the sword carefully. "This is my sword. I inherited it from my master as he inherited it from his."_

 _Golbez put his hand on Dragon's shoulder. "One day this sword will be yours."_

 _Dragon smiled, happy he was going to get such a nice looking weapon. "What is it called?"_

 _"The Singing Paladin," Golbez stated._

 _"Why that name? Aren't paladins based on knights?" Dragon inquired._

 _Golbez nodded. "Traditionally yes, they are. Paladins or Holy Knights, depending on how you refer to them, were knights who served the Light. The moon even."_

 _"The Paladins had access to a special metal that was exclusively used for their armour and weapons. The Luner Rocks," Golbez explained._

 _"Unfortunately, during the Keyblade War, the Paladins had been wiped out by rivalling armies. When they died, the Luner Rock was misused by the rivalling armies to a point that the material became shabby and unusable from being corrupted by the darkness of the heart. It wasn't long before it became extinct," Golbez sighed sadly._

 _Golbez pointed to the Singing Paladin. "This sword is the only item to this day that contains the last remaining pieces of Luner Rock in it. Why it was made into a Samurai sword, I do not know. All I know is that it was given to me after my training was completed. Therefore, it is my responsibility to make sure it won't be corrupted by a dark heart."_

 _Golbez lead Dragon out of his room. "Soon it will be your responsibility to look after it. It shall be your sword."_

 _Dragon was worried. Just a moment ago he was more than happy to see the Singing Paladin, but after that level of responsibility, it terrified him._

 _He turned to Golbez. "How will I know when I'm ready to take the final test?"_

 _"When you understand the will that keeps you living."_

Space Pod – Present time

"The next day, he left. I went to his room and found him gone. He had taken Singing Paladin with him. I never had been so terrified. I wondered if I did something wrong. Did I have a dark heart I didn't know about?"

Kyra put her hand on his shoulder. "How did you survive?"

"Golbez was friends with the Struggle Tournament manager. He was able to convince the committee to give some benefits until I was old enough to get a job." Dragon sighed. "I probably sound pathetic."

Kyra hit his arm. "Don't say that."

Dragon rubbed his inflicted arm. "Ow."

"You didn't know Golbez was going to leave you. It's his fault you had to defend yourself like that. He shouldn't have left you like that."

Dragon looked at the letter he was given. "I just need to see him to understand why he left me. I need to…"

"Face your demons," Kyra finished. She looked down, a few strands of black and red hair falling in front of her face."That's easier said than done."

"Could you come with me?" Dragon asked, a bit anxious.

"Are you sure?" Kyra replied, sitting up to look at him again.

"I don't want to be by myself," Dragon said.

Kyra nodded. She could understand that. No one wants to be alone in situations like these. She could remember a number of times she wanted West by her side. Just someone to lend her some courage and to let her know she was not alone. That she would survive it.

She then noticed the computer beeping. "Okay, it's time, Dragon. We reached Enchanted Domain."

Dragon nodded as Kyra readied the teleport. They both nodded and activated the transporter.

Enchanted Domain – Forest.

Dragon and Kyra had appeared in a lovely green forest, the trees looking healthy and ripe. The rocks looked simple but at the same time added a certain beauty to the scenery. The stream near the edge of the forest gave the area a certain bliss, as if it did come from a fairy-tale book.

"So, this is Maleficent's world," Dragon quizzed, observing the area. "You wouldn't think it, would you?"

Kyra rolled her eyes. "The witch never came to this part of her world unless she had to."

"What else do you know about this world, Kyra?" Dragon asked.

"Merlin did tell me some stuff about it such as the kingdoms, the nice forests." Her face turned grim. "He also said never, ever go to the mountains."

Dragon gulped. "Come on, let's find the cottage."

As the duo made their way to the woodsman cottage, Dragon still felt an uneasiness in his stomach.

Dragon had a lot of problems: being nervous, abandonment issues, and just being a mess all together. He was absolutely terrified about having to meet his old master. How was he meant to react, what was he going to say to him?

He saw that his hand was shaking. He felt the hairs on his arms and legs go straight, even feeling a sickly feeling in his stomach with each step he was taking.

Then suddenly, he felt the grip of someone. He turned to see that Kyra had grabbed his hand. It felt warm in grasp. As they were holding hands, Dragon felt less worried and his confidence was rising.

As his hand stopped shaking, the two of them released each other's from their grips and continued to walk to the cottage.

After passing a clearing, they found the Woodsman's Cottage. It looked as its designer had named it. A integrated, traditional, countryside cottage built into a giant oak tree with a water mill next to it.

What caught Dragon's attention was who was waiting outside the cottage.

He was there. His master. Golbez. A man who had raised and trained him for three years. He looked exactly the same as he had last seen the man. Same clothes, same physical appearance, but with one notable difference.

Singing Paladin was tied onto his belt.

Golbez looked at the two young travellers. "So it would seem you received my message."

Dragon nodded as he looked at his old master. "It's been some time."

Golbez nodded as he looked at the night sky. "You've grown since I last saw you."

Kyra scoffed, glaring at the man. "You mean when you abandon him." Dragon put his arm on her shoulder to stop her from continuing.

"It brought me no joy what I did to you, Dragon," Golbez said sadly.

"Then why? You were the only person I could trust. I had no memory of who I was, we lived together for three years, you trained me, you raised me. How could you leave me?" Dragon asked, trying everything he could not to break down.

"You want an honest answer?" Golbez asked.

Dragon nodded.

"It was part of your training."

"How!" Dragon shouted back, "How could leaving me all alone be a part of my training?"

"If you want to know the answer to that question then you must complete your final test," Golbez stated bluntly as he took out Singing Paladin. The blade was gold with a red lining on the edge.

Dragon understood where this was going and he took out Steel Slayer, his own sword. "I guess this was going to happen one day."

Kyra grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?" she whispered loudly.

"Getting my answers." Dragon shook her hand off gently. "Whatever happens, don't get involved. Or use your bow."

Both Dragon and Golbez walked to the center of the field. Kyra watched in the background, clearly not happy that Dragon had to fight this man to get the answers that haunted him for seven years.

"Do you understand what you will gain if you defeat me in your final test?" Golbez asked.

Dragon nodded. "If I beat you, then you will explain to me how leaving me was a part of my training."

Golbez nodded. "I will tell you all that you want to know." Golbez looked down at the Singing Paladin. "Additionally, I will give up my claim to this sword and give it to you for completing your training."

Dragon nodded. "Yes, I remember what you told me all those years ago."

"You didn't hear what would happen if you lose," Golbez retorted.

"What will happen to him?" Kyra shouted out, not really liking the situation.

"If you lose, I will have to kill you."

Dragon's and Kyra's eyes widened.

"Why?" Kyra asked, disbelief with what she had just heard, "You asked to see him so you could just kill him?!"

Golbez gave her a stern look. "To prove he is ready to wield this, he must fight against it. During this battle, he will be shown the full extent of its power. A power that many enemies would more than love to have."

"Dragon isn't your enemy, he's your student!" Kyra shot back.

"Who's to say he wouldn't be captured? He could be tortured beyond measure until he gave up what he knows about the sword's power. If they found out, then they would do everything they could to find it, steal it, replicate it. It would be the same exact scenario that started the Keyblade War and what caused the Luner Rock to become extinct. That chance cannot be taken." Golbez explained.

"Then what about you? If Dragon wins he's going to be given the Singing Paladin, which means he's going to have to kill you!" Kyra warned.

Golbez shook his head. "I do not need to worry for that outcome. I have passed the test that is being declared now. I have proven to my master that I have a strong will. Question is, does Dragon?"

Kyra looked back at Dragon. "You can't do this. It's not worth you losing your life."

Dragon looked at Steel Slayer. He didn't like the options either. If he won, he would be given his dream sword along with answers on why his master left him for so long. The negative side would be he lost and there would be one less team member.

Dragon still kept looking at Steel Slayer. Even now, it still brought a slight joy to his heart. His very own sword. It may not be a Keyblade but it was still a sword made for him. At the beginning he needed to practice with it to get a better grip on it. After a few battles, it felt more and more like an extension of his very body.

He left Twilight Town to look for answers of who he really was and where he came from. He was a part of a team that needed him to fight the Organization and Maleficent along with all their cronies. He wanted to be a better person, a strong person, a respected person, a good person.

Dragon eyed his master and then got into his stance. "I understand the conditions and I accept your challenge."

"Dragon!" Kyra yelled.

Golbez nodded. "Then there is nothing more to say." Golbez then rushed toward Dragon, raising Singing Paladin to the left.

Dragon responded by hitting it on the right side with Steel Slayer. This caused Golbez to lose his pose. Dragon proceeded to strike him on the back, but Golbez flipped his sword so he was holding the blade section and used the handle to whack Dragon's leg.

This caused Dragon to fall on his back with Steel Slayer landing on his side. Golbez charged for a stab but Dragon was able to roll over to the other side.

Dragon grabbed Steel Slayer and jumped to make an air attack. Golbez was able to defend himself as the two swords came into contact.

Dragon jumped away from his mentor. "So you're still in good shape." He went back into his stance.

Golbez nodded as he went into his stance. "It would seem you have learned some offense moves."

Dragon nodded. "I had to."

"Shame that you still don't understand what you are facing." Golbez slashed his sword. "Fire slices!" Three fire attacks came out of the Singing Paladin. However, instead of balls of fire, they came in the form of curves looking almost like sword blades.

Dragon was able to dodge two and blocked the final one with Steel Slayer. The last one, despite it being blocked, did cause his body to move back from the weight of the attack.

Dragon looked at his master, shocked. "Magic? How did you do that? Samurais can't use that type of magic. It was like a Mage Attack."

Golbez swung the Singing Paladin. "Who ever said that magic came from me?"

Dragon looked at the Singing Paladin and it hit him. "In the books back in Twilight Town, it was said the Paladins, despite being super knights, also had a range of white magic." Dragon's eyes widened. "Your sword produces the magic for you."

Golbez nodded. "Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Cure, along with many other spells, can be produced by this sword." Golbez lifted it and returned back to his stance. "That is why it cannot be given away so lightly."

Dragon nodded as he took off his jacket and threw it onto the ground and prepared for another attack. "Then I guess I'm going to have to think bigger."

He decided to retry a jump attack. Golbez easily predicted this. "Blizzard shield!" A small blue light hit his free hand and transformed into a giant shield made of pure ice.

Dragon's Steel Slayer slashed the shield but not hard enough to break it. Dragon tried to move his sword but he noticed that it had gotten stuck into the ice making it harder for him to remove.

"Give up, there is no chance you can win this duel," Golbez stated.

"I've waited a long time to have a real sword fight with you. I'm not about to go chicken now." Dragon closed his eyes. "Blades Inferno." He whispered to his sword.

Steel Slayer's blade was coated with fire and was starting to make Golbez's blizzard shield melt. Dragon freed his sword and with three slashes, destroyed the shield.

Golbez threw what was left of his shield at Dragon and made leg way between them. Golbez then examined Steel Slayer's new form.

"So it would seem you have unlocked your Limit Breaker." Golbez smiled. "Must say I'm impressed. I thought it would take you longer to develop one."

"My friends helped me create it," Dragon stated.

Golbez shook his head. "Unfortunately for you, they can't save you from your fate."

Dragon shook his head. "I decide what happens in my life, not you! I'm here to beat you and that's what I'll do, now come on!" Dragon raised Steel Slayer as the fire came off the metal and reformed into an appearance of a dragon similar to the one that was on Dragon's shirt.

"Go now!" Dragon ordered the fire creature. This was Dragon's ace attack, he remembered how well it worked against Gantu. He just hoped that it would be strong enough to beat his master.

As the fire dragon was coming closer and closer to Golbez, the master didn't show any signs of fear or making himself ready for the impact. All he said was one thing.

"Reflect."

He was soon surrounded by a glass dome. Once the fire dragon made contact with the dome, a massive light shown. Dragon shielded his eyes with one arm in front of his face.

Dragon reopened his eyes and lower his arm to see Golbez's dome had vanished. His eyes widened, seeing what the cause of it vanishing was.

His attack was coming directly right back at him. The Fire Dragon roared as it soon made contact with Dragon. The poor boy was covered in flames from the attack, feeling the surging pain of the fire which he had created. His body being battered and scorched with his clothes ripping was a dreadful sight.

Once it was over, Dragon had ash all around his body with his clothes burned and smoke coming out from them.

Kyra gasped, standing still shock. "He…he was able to reflect a limit break?" She turned to Dragon. "What exactly has he agreed to fight here?"

Dragon too had been shocked, seeing his own super attack be thrown back at him. Was the Singing Paladin's magic that powerful that it could reflect attacks at that magnitude back at you? Or was he so weak that his Blades Inferno could be undermined by the most basic of spells?

Golbez examined his student's condition. "Do you forfeit?"

Dragon shook his head slowly. "I'm still breathing, aren't I?"

"Dragon, shut up!" Kyra knew nothing she could say that would help Dragon now. He agreed to the terms of the match. He told her not to intervene. She had to honor that no matter how much she wanted to stop this. All she could do was watch him go through this pain or have Golbez kill him. Either way this was not going to end well for the young samurai.

Golbez sighed. "Well, I think it is time to end this farce." He raised his sword to the moon. "You showed me your Limit Break, now let me show you mine."

The Singing Paladin was glowing white, feeding off the energy from the moon. "Anubis's Ocean!" Golbez ordered.

Soon all the rivers in the forest where glowing silver white as they were being touched by the magic of the moon. The water jumped up from all the streams, puddles, and waterfalls coming behind Golbez.

The water was reforming itself into a giant. The figure was a giant moving water version of Anubis, the god of death. With his dog head and Egyptian crown. It peered at Dragon, waiting for the order to attack.

"End this," Golbez ordered. The Anubis silhouette nodded as its watery hands began to conduct electricity and grand slammed Dragon to the ground. He kept punching him to the ground with one fist after the other.

Each punch was causing the ground to become misty so not even Kyra or Golbez could make out what was happening. Seeing how much time it was taking to finish the attack they guessed Dragon would be either dead or near death.

Kyra closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. She wished back in the pod she had knocked Dragon out and taken him back to the ship where the rest of the party were. It would have been better than seeing this execution. Each punch was like a stab in the gut for her. If he lived, she would just grab him and take him back to the others. She doesn't care what Golbez's rules stated, she was not going to let Dragon die.

The punches stopped. The water Anubis silhouette morphed back into natural water as it fell on the wet grass. Golbez looked at the dust that had been created from the attack, "It is done."

He expected he would have to make a coffin from the wood in the cottage and buy a tombstone from the castle.

"No."

Golbez's eyes widened. It couldn't be.

As the dust settled, he saw Dragon. His body was badly bruised. Large quantities of blood covered his head, chest, and many other sections of his body. He had been beaten up beyond human measure.

Kyra leapt into action. She got all the potions she could find in her bag. As she was about to run to Dragon, she had stopped once Golbez asked him a question.

"How can you be standing? That was one of the most deadly limit breaks ever created. You should be dead," Golbez stated.

Dragon shook his head. "I can't die yet."

"Why is that?" Golbez asked.

Dragon looked at his master carefully, "When you left Twilight Town, I hated myself. I had no idea why you left me. I was scared. I was lonely. I lost the only person I could ever really count on. I felt empty and pathetic. I was terrified to talk to anyone, even Hayner and his crew. I got so scared of making any form of attachments because I couldn't bear to deal with that pain again."

Golbez looked sadly to his student. He felt pangs of guilt coursing through his heart for the pain he caused. "If you felt that level of insecurity, then why did you leave? Heartless, Nobodies. There is a huge number of things that could kill you, never mind your emotional state."

Dragon took a massive breath, ignoring the pain stinging his body. "Because I got tired of feeling left out."

Dragon started to use Steel Slayer as a walking stick. "I heard stories of great people. People who are willing to go through so much pain just for the sake of others. On the day I left, I was able to meet these people. I kept asking myself why they went through all this pain. Why did they go through all this harshness that their enemies keep throwing at them?" Dragon looked up at the stars. "By working with them I was able to get my answer."

"What was it?" Golbez asked.

"They had something to fight for. They had a goal. Some fight for the sake of loved ones, some fight to reclaim something that was taken from them, and some just fight because they know what their fate and the fate of every world would be if they fail."

Dragon wiped some blood from his eye. "When I fought with them for the first time in Twilight Town, I felt a passion from them. Seeing how far they were willing to go despite what was being thrown at them was beautiful." Dragon paused, taking in a breath. "Then there was me. What had I accomplished in the ten years I stayed in Twilight Town? Just a loner who had amnesia."

"I knew then if I wanted to make anything of myself, if I wanted to prove that I was worthy of the name I had chosen, I had to move to a bigger picture. I was sick of having no memory of where I came from. I left wanting to recover the first eight years of my life. But it evolved so much more from that."

"How?" Golbez questioned.

"The people I work with. They're more than just friends. They are family. In the time I spent with them I felt happy, as if I really had a feeling of belonging. I may have only known them for a short time, but within that time, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. If I die, then I won't be able to help them anymore." Dragon turned his head and looked dead straight at Kyra.

"They are the reason why I need to improve. Not just to get my memories back but because I have people who are counting on me and who I can count on. They have done so much for me and I won't let any of them down because if I do then they will get hurt or worse, killed."

Dragon frowned as he shakily got back into his battle stance, trying his best to hold Steel Slayer. "That's why I will keep fighting you. If I lose then I die and if I'm dead, I will be letting my friends down and I won't do that to them. So use whatever magic or skills you want on me. I am not going to let you kill me."

Dragon moved closer to Golbez. "I die when I want to die."

Golbez didn't do anything. He didn't speak, move, or cast any spells. Instead, he just put the Singing Paladin back into its sheath. "You passed."

"Uh?" Dragon and Kyra were dumbfounded by this act.

"How have I passed? I didn't beat you," Dragon questioned, confused by this turn of events.

Golbez went on to explain himself. "You once asked me when you would be ready to take the final test in your training. Do you remember what I told you?"

Dragon was carefully trying to recall the last day he spent with his master in Twilight Town. "You said 'when I understand the will that keeps me living'," Dragon quoted.

Golbez nodded. "The reason I left you for so long was because you relied on me for everything. You were becoming too dependent on me."

"You were taking care of me for three years! Did you just get bored of me?" Dragon demanded to know.

Golbez shook his head. "No."

"Then why?" Dragon asked.

"You are correct; I was your guardian, but I was becoming your jailer. The problem with lonely people is that when they find someone who generally cares for them they can't bear to leave them. In order for you to become prepared for this test, I needed you to find a purpose that was made by your own will and choices. Not by the choices of others," Golbez explained to his young student.

"He was only a kid!" Kyra argued, yelling from the sidelines. "He was still just a kid when you left him!"

Golbez sighed. "I admit what I did to you was cruel. Unfortunate, it was necessary. I needed my absence to give you a need to be independent. You chose to fight for Twilight Town. In return, you were given Steel Slayer. You chose to leave Twilight Town, now you have comrades. You chose to explore other worlds which will help you discover where you actually came from."

Golbez unclicked the sheath from his belt, holding the Singing Paladin in both of his hands. "For one to wield a sword of this calibre, they must prove they have the will to forge their own destiny with a will of their own and not one made by others."

Golbez bowed to Dragon on his knees. "As reward for completing your training and your final test, I pass on the Singing Paladin to you."

Dragon absorbed everything he had just been told. While he wanted to say he hated Golbez for leaving him, he couldn't help but agree with his method since he did get sick of being alone and just staying in the same place without a purpose.

Now he was here. He was part of a team, he had more friends than he could remember. He looked toward the Singing Paladin. For so long he had dreamed of wielding that sword as his own. Now after seven years of waiting, he had finally achieved that right.

His hands were slowly reaching toward the sword before he stopped himself. His hands clutched into fists, falling back to his side. "No."

Golbez looked up, surprised. "What do you mean no? It's your sword now, you have earned it."

Dragon nodded. "I know and I admit it's a really powerful weapon. I could do so much with it."

"Then why don't you take it?" Golbez asked, confused.

"I might be very stupid for saying this, but I don't need it." Dragon simply shrugged. "Over the journey I have taken, I feel stronger, Not because of the weapons or skills, but because I'm able to follow this oath I made for my friends and the universe."

"The one you have told me just now." Golbez summarised.

Dragon nodded, "Making this oath, this promise got me through this battle." Dragon smiled as Kyra came up behind him. She put his jacket on his shoulders before giving him a Hi potion.

"I'm glad I completed my training but I don't need a fancy sword to tell me what I'm made of. I'm just glad I was able to see you again and understand what you did. For that, I am thankful," Dragon explained, "If you really want to reward me for this trial don't give me the Singing Paladin, use it to help those on worlds we can't spare time for."

Golbez nodded as he reinserted the sheath onto his belt. "I accept your request."

Dragon nodded as he began to walk back to the space pod.

Kyra looked between the young samurai and then back to his master. "So tell the other reason you left him?" She asked.

Golbez frowned. "What are you talking about, young lady? I believe I explained my reasons."

Kyra rolled her eyes. "Listen, I know when someone is hiding something." She crossed her arms. "So spill. Why?"

Golbez relented. "Another fault in Dragon was me. I did something that the training should not have allowed. I got attached."

Golbez ran his hand through his hair. "The final test requires that if one fails, they are to be executed."

Kyra stared at him sombrely. "You didn't want kill him, did you?"

Golbez nodded, "Every day when he trained, each time I saw him improve, I knew he would be one step closer to the final test. I spent many sleepless nights terrified of what if he failed." Golbez looked down to his feet. "What I did was cowardly, but I did for his preparations and to protect from his could be executioner."

With that said, Golbez started to walk away. "I shall go and fulfil the request that has been asked of me." He looked down at his sword. "I do not know what the future has in store for the Singing Paladin, but if my will is strong then I will find a resolution."

Golbez bowed his head to Kyra. "Farewell, archer."

Kyra nodded to him before taking off to catch up with Dragon. As the two were walking back to the space pod, Kyra stretched her arms before crossing them behind her head. "Well, that was a long night."

Dragon nodded in agreement.

"You know, I would punch you in the arm for agreeing to those stupid terms, but I'm worried it would just cause your arm to fall off," Kyra joked.

Dragon chuckled. "I guess I deserve that."

"Still, I'm glad you won." She uncrossed her arms and offered her hand to Dragon. He smiled and took it as the two of them were walking side by side through the forest.

"So what was the other reason you didn't take the Singing Paladin?" Kyra asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Dragon grinned, laying his other hand on the hilt of Steel Slayer. "I already got a sword."

The End

Golbez was originally from Final Fantasy 4

Edited by MysteryGirl7Freak your fantastic thank you so much.


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